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This study was aimed at determining the prevalence of parasitic infections among the food handlers of Saqqez County in 2016. Stool samples collected from 1530 food handlers. All samples were examined by both direct technique and sedimentation technique using formalin-ethyl acetate for detecting the intestinal parasites. Of total participants, 1462 (95.6%) were male and 62 (4.4%) female. Intestinal parasitic infections were found in 92 (6.01%) individuals. The highest infection rate was due to Giardia lamblia (4.1%) and the lowest associated with Endolimax nana, Iodamoeba butschlii, and Hymenolepis nana (0.1%). No significant correlation between the intestinal parasitic infections and age, gender, education level, gastrointestinal signs and symptoms, and the type of profession, was established. The results of the present study revealed that only a small number of food handlers in Saqqez County were infected with intestinal parasites with G. lamblia as the most common cause of infection. More strict health control for those working in food industries is of vital importance and continuous education to improve the level of general health in these people is undoubtedly considered as a key determinant towards lower number of parasitic infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ziziphora tenuior L. (Kakuti in Persian) is used in traditional medicine for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders as carminative and analgesic plant. The other usages of this plant are included treatment of diarrhea and nausea. Therefore in the present study we evaluated the immunomodulatory effects of the ethanolic extract of this plant on the dendritic cells (DCs). Results: Ziziphora tenuior L. extract significantly (p = 0.002) increased the level of surface expression of CD40 as an important co-stimulatory marker on DCs compared to the control. However this extract did not change CD86 and MHC-II molecules, so it could promote DCs phenotypic maturation. Treatment of DCs with the extract resulted in slightly increased of the production of (IL-12); however, this change was not significant. In addition, the ability of treated DCs to stimulate allogenic T cells proliferation and cytokines secretion was examined in the co-cuture of these cells with T cells in mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR). Z tenuior L. at the 100 µg/ml concentration inhibited the proliferation of allogenic T cells and also significantly (P < 0.001) increased the level of IL-10. Moreover, the extract at 10-100 µg/ml concentration caused slightly increase in IFN-γ production and decreased IL-4 cytokines but these changes were not significant. Conclusions: These findings indicated that Z tenuior L. extract can modulate immune response by induction of CD40 expression on DCs and cytokine production; whereas it can inhibit T cell stimulating activity of DCs in high concentration. These findings possibly in part explain the traditional use of this plant in treatment of immune-mediated disorders. However future studies are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]